If you've got flights booked on American Airlines, you might want to re-think that decision. If you care about getting anywhere with your luggage, that is.

Twenty-five American Airlines flights departing from JFK have been delayed today when the software that operates the baggage conveyor belts malfunctioned. But it's not the flight delays that are the problem (most ranged in the hour-long range - not that bad, by modern day airline standards) but the question of the luggage even getting there. 

Workers had no choice but to sort through every piece of baggage by hand, which resulted in a baggage overflow disaster that kinda makes you wish robots really did run everything. It got so bad that, according to Reuters, passengers were given the option of bothering to check theirs bags, or even flying at all.

We can't find a good picture of this debacle (they're all too small) but this one will have to suffice.

We may not know much about flying, but we can assume that this does not bode well for American Airlines. (Yup, and it looks like we're right on the, er, money: Reuters also reports that American Airlines shares were down 2.43% at midday today.)

Also: here's a grainy, albeit kind of hilarious, video of the whole debacle - thanks to citizen journalism site iReport.

[via Reuters]